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00:08I am Tony Albert, and as a practicing contemporary artist,
00:13I have collaborated, exhibited, and sold my works around the globe.
00:17In recent years, I have also witnessed graffiti
00:20become the biggest and fastest art movement in the world.
00:26Captivated by this popular arts practice,
00:29I am stepping out of my studio and hitting the streets
00:32to meet four graffiti artists and explore their work.
00:59I said, share the show, all my uncles now, all my mothers now.
01:31My name is Nish Cash, and I am descended from the
01:35Jingli and Mubbera mob from Northern Territory.
01:37I've been living in Adelaide all my life.
01:41So, when I started out doing graffiti,
01:45there wasn't a whole heap of females out there,
01:49and I never thought I would make a living out of it.
01:53Awesome.
01:54I'm glad I've been given the opportunity to do what I'm doing.
02:02Miss Cash.
02:04Hey, Tony Albert.
02:05And you, I'll track you down.
02:06Hey, my brother.
02:07Good.
02:08Good to see you.
02:09This is looking great.
02:10Hey, thank you.
02:11So, tell me about your work.
02:12So, I love doing the lettering side of things.
02:16That, to me, is the basis of graffiti.
02:19But, you know, I also do a lot of stuff like characters
02:22and, you know, commission jobs, workshops as well,
02:26teaching young people, seeing what young people can achieve.
02:29You've got pieces scattered all around Adelaide.
02:32I do, yeah, yeah.
02:34Some hidden.
02:35Yeah, some hidden.
02:36I'm really keen for you to show me around.
02:38I'd love to show you around, Tony.
02:39Okay, thanks so much.
02:41I'll leave you with this piece and then we'll go for a bit of a tour.
02:44Definitely.
02:45No worries.
02:45See you, Tony.
03:03This is Burnett Street, a.k.a. Art Alley.
03:07This particular piece here was a bit of a collab.
03:11My girl Ivy came down from Sydney.
03:13We like to paint.
03:14And, you know, this is a good spot for it.
03:21Council actually decided to name it Art Alley due to what we did
03:24with this whole area, basically, this particular alleyway.
03:28And there has been a slight bit of intervention into the wall?
03:30Yeah.
03:31They've taken a whole chunk out of the work.
03:33Nothing lasts forever.
03:34Let's go check out a few more before they're gone as well.
03:37Let's check it.
03:46Okay, well this is a little bit of an oldie.
03:48Yeah, how old are we talking?
03:51It's probably about 15 years old.
03:53Wow.
03:54It's definitely had its day, but it's stayed up alright.
03:56Yeah, this one here.
03:58So we've got I, S, H, K.
04:03It's hung up pretty well.
04:04It has.
04:05For 15 years.
04:06It has.
04:09Another ish.
04:10Yeah.
04:19So, Tony, we're down at Port Adelaide and, um...
04:21I already noticed something.
04:23With the colours and the area.
04:25Yes, so significant to Port Adelaide, um...
04:28Football.
04:29You'll notice teal, black and white.
04:30Big part of the culture.
04:32Very big, very big, yes.
04:34But even more significant to that is the Jabrookie Ibis.
04:38The fact that I'm not Kaurna, um, I feel it's really important to pay homage to the fact
04:44that, um, we are on Kaurna land.
04:46And this is...
04:46And how does the Ibis fit into that?
04:48Um, so it is part of, um, a dreaming story for the Kaurna people.
04:52Um, it's quite a, quite a large story that travels over a lot of South Australia.
04:58Okay.
05:00What about the text itself?
05:02Yes, so, ishk, or my, um, alias.
05:06It's an easy one.
05:08You know, four letters.
05:09But also, the sound of a spray can is like, ishk.
05:13So, there's that factor as well.
05:16Um, but yeah.
05:17I just like the way I dropped the N and played around with ISH and then kicked a K in
05:23there.
05:23Because a K is actually kind of when you have your I going like this and then your K kind
05:29of kicks off like that.
05:30So, I like to make things sort of flow.
05:33And then I looked it up and Googled ISH and it came up with the Institute for the Study
05:37of Human Knowledge.
05:38And I think we're always on that quest for knowledge, um, through whatever it is we do.
05:44So, yeah, I think that sums it up.
05:56So, welcome to my house.
05:59Do you do a lot of initial prep work in, at home?
06:03Um, yeah.
06:04A lot of my stuff I have to put out in storage out here.
06:08Just to re-go out in space.
06:11The old shed.
06:11Oh, wow.
06:12Look at this.
06:16Um, this is my old photo album actually.
06:21Well, that's how I started, um, using my name.
06:24And then it kind of develops later.
06:26I guess I try to experimenting and trying to push it a little bit further with sort of
06:31wild style.
06:32Oh, so what's wild style?
06:33Wild style, so you've got public, which is, um, you know, quite legible and very
06:38much the public can read it.
06:40And then you've got wild style, which is sort of illegible and that the public can't read
06:44it.
06:45So, kind of, the tags are sort of hidden.
06:54So, I can see some early sketches in here as well.
06:57I haven't pulled out any of this for ages.
07:00Wow.
07:01Oh, yeah.
07:02I mean, these are very strong female imagery too.
07:05They're holding guns.
07:06They look very confident, very powerful.
07:08I do want them to have, like, sometimes there's that play on that softness of the hair.
07:15But then I want them to have an element of strength and that tough quality.
07:19The bandana across the outlaws.
07:28What appeals to me about the female form, it's like Mother Nature.
07:32It is the most powerful.
07:34You know, it is the epitome of beauty.
07:44Yeah.
07:46Better tomorrow.
07:48This one.
07:49Having birth, having a baby.
07:51Um, I will say that this actually, this sketchbook was during a time where my mental health
07:58health wasn't very well.
08:00Um, and I was actually in hospital for a little while.
08:06Yeah, dealing with some mental health issues.
08:08So, um, a dear friend of mine gave me this to sketch with.
08:13And this is kind of some of the stuff that came out of it.
08:17Um, so, as you'll see, there's some quotes in there too.
08:21Um, but some of my best sketches came out of this too.
08:36Like, it's not always accessible to go and paint a wall and grab a spray can.
08:40So, sketching is, for me, that healing tool too.
08:43Gives that outlet.
08:44Yeah.
08:47Well, this looks like quite a big folder.
08:49Uh, pull that up.
08:51Oof.
08:52It's heavy.
08:54Ah, okay.
08:55So, here actually is some of the stuff that really, really, really influenced me in my
09:01early days.
09:02Um, so, before the internet, um, we relied on magazines.
09:08I've been painting since I was about 15 properly.
09:12I do admit that, um, for me, doing graffiti, particularly tagging, was about rebelling.
09:18You could only spend one day in my shoes.
09:22Maybe though we could talk.
09:25Maybe though we could walk together.
09:28You could only spend one day in my shoes.
09:31As far as growing up, Adelaide's sort of been my place.
09:34One of the things that I, I recall was most of my memories being made here.
09:38So, my family all grew up in Alice Springs.
09:42And so, Territory's, Northern Territory's pretty much a big place for my, my family.
09:47I was very close to Nana.
09:50She was one to talk to me about a lot, but she wouldn't talk too much about, um, being
09:55stolen.
09:56But, I, I'd ask her lots about, you know, identity and, um, like I wanted to know.
10:02Can you feel my pain?
10:06I felt pretty disconnected from culture for a while there because of having left home
10:14at a very young age.
10:15Probably when I was 12, 13.
10:19I lived on my own.
10:29When I started getting serious about graffiti was after I had my daughter.
10:33It became about quality over quantity.
10:36I couldn't paint very much.
10:39I wanted to basically, A, get an artistic career out of, um, you know, with painting.
10:48So, the pinker the better.
10:51Think of it as cotton candy.
11:00Today I'm painting with, um, my daughter, Tanisha, and one of my friend's daughters, Tanika.
11:07Thought it'd be a good opportunity for them to have a paint too.
11:22When I became a mum, my whole philosophy changed.
11:28I actually wanted to put my creative practices into something that, you know, I could actually
11:35pursue as a career.
11:47I think seeing opportunities arise through council grants and so forth, doing workshops
11:54sort of paved the way for me in the work that I'm doing now.
12:01I'm at that point where, I could go either way actually.
12:05The pinks in the background.
12:09Through this journey of art into work, I believe really helped me, um, become stronger in identity
12:17and finding myself through art.
12:24Now I pass on what I've learnt through my job and commissioned works.
12:33I just want to express why it's on my mind.
12:39I just want to impress when I take my place in line.
12:44So come on and stop wasting your time.
12:48Cause it's time to get serious and stand up and fight.
12:56Love it.
13:16This is my first solo show in Tandanya.
13:19This exhibition is actually called Sketch Fetish, based on my sketches.
13:24Um, so this is a quote that I felt was really important to everything I do.
13:29Dreaming of my future, knowledge of my past, I sprayed up my name so that it would last.
13:34Um, during the exhibition, I actually had everyone come and add to this, um, and let,
13:40um, yeah, the audience participate in a bit of live graffiti.
13:44And now here we have selected sketches from your sketchbooks.
13:48Yes.
13:50Um, which is quite nerve-wracking because my sketches are really personal and I actually
13:55didn't feel that they were really, um, valid in a place of a gallery place.
14:00I can do it.
14:01I know I know I know I can.
14:03Gonna try to fix myself and get myself right up again.
14:06Never gonna stop.
14:07Never ever gonna stop.
14:08Nisha's work really appeals to me because I think it challenges the idea of, of Aboriginality
14:12and particularly around what artwork Aboriginal people should make.
14:19And this kind of idea that can also lead the work to be about sexuality and the body.
14:25I'm about to explode.
14:26I'm blowing up like a bomb.
14:28Every time I'm getting down, I'm picking myself up again.
14:31Every time I'm getting down.
14:32So I'd probably have to say this would be my ultimate favourite sketch.
14:36To me, it symbolises everything about femininity and graffiti and just flows.
14:46Well, I think the fluid nature of sketches too, there's something that can't be kind of
14:50replicated when you do a finished or a bigger painting.
14:54So I think, you know, for me they really appeal coming into a gallery space and seeing
14:59those intimate personal works.
15:02Yeah, they are very intimate.
15:08What are your feelings on the commercial gallery opposed to being out on the streets?
15:14Well, for me, I mean, for me the streets were the gallery.
15:17Well, it is the gallery for my work.
15:19You don't have to walk into a building.
15:21Like, you walk past it and everyone can see it.
15:24Well, thank you for this extra special look and this special guided tour of your show.
15:34So when I started out doing graffiti, sort of in the mid-90s, there wasn't a whole heap
15:41of females at all.
15:44We had a crew, Lady Killers, that was started 2012.
15:49You know, between mutual friends, it was a collective.
15:53We put together exhibitions, walls, parties and all about basically supporting each other
16:00and making things happen.
16:02And we did it really well.
16:07It was just incredible.
16:13The name Lady Killers just came from the fact that we were very strong women and we knew
16:18we killed it.
16:27After Tanisha was born, I got involved with Marion Council's Art of Respect program and
16:33she was probably only a few months old and that was my first experience of being a participant
16:38in a workshop.
16:40Marion Art of Respect program was developed to get young juvenile delinquents to stop tagging
16:46and they organised workshops to do canvases and then put them into doing gallery exhibitions
16:54and selling their work.
16:56Yeah, it was a really good experience.
16:59And then ended up working my way into actually being a facilitator.
17:06That's kicked off facilitating workshops for me.
17:10Mish, how are you?
17:11Hey, how are ya?
17:12Good.
17:13So what's your job at Tandanya?
17:15So I'm the community arts and youth engagement officer here.
17:18So it's a role I actually really love.
17:20Yeah.
17:23I've facilitated workshops for all sorts of kids from Aboriginal kids to mixed races,
17:31kids with cancer, kids who are deaf, all sorts of kids.
17:37What's the crossover like between your role as an artist and your job at Tandanya?
17:43So a lot of the workshops are so art based workshops.
17:46Do you think I can come and do one?
17:47Tony, I'd love you to be part of it.
17:49I think you'll enjoy it.
17:52Bring it back, bring it back, one, two, three.
17:58Where we are at today is Tandy College, the place of learning for a lot of Aboriginal and
18:04Torres Strait Islander students.
18:06Throughout my time, I've mentored a few young artists.
18:10I can see this disconnection to culture, to where they come from.
18:14That can turn into a bit of frustration perhaps.
18:19I met Nish when I was, I think I was about 16 years old.
18:23And yeah, she pretty much took me under her wing and showed me that the cultural side of art
18:27was really empowering and showing me where I could take my art.
18:37It's always fun with Shane.
18:39It's always in a bit of a freestyle manner as a collaboration.
18:44You know, we don't get too bogged down in, right, what are we going to do?
18:48How are we going to do it?
18:49It's more just letting it flow naturally.
18:52And I think as artists, we tend to, you know, let it go and see how it ends up.
18:58If there's a story or something significant that we need to acknowledge,
19:02then we incorporate that into the work.
19:06It's about respecting the community.
19:09We've got Uridla, which is the two mountains in the Adelaide Hills,
19:13which represent the ears of the big kangaroo, which is Tandanya.
19:17That's what we're painting today, the story of two.
19:22One thing that I'm very big on is each one to each one.
19:26So it's not just about me teaching young people.
19:31Like, I believe young people have a lot to teach us.
19:35I just kind of wanted to do what all my mentors have done for me
19:37and help out when I was struggling.
19:39So that's what got me into, got me into the mentoring stuff.
19:43It's a two-way street almost, so it's like the saying,
19:47Nuppagee Nuppagee, like I give you, you give me, so...
19:50I'm keen to see what everyone's going to say about the new piece though.
19:53Yeah, I think they'll like it.
19:55Yeah, I reckon.
19:59Nisha's a pretty good role model in the community.
20:01She works with lots of kids from not just the city,
20:03but she goes out onto the lands and speaks with the kids out there.
20:07I think it's important for the youth to see Aboriginal people doing good things.
20:16So, 2015, I won the Gladys Elphick Award
20:19for dedicated service to youth through culture and arts.
20:23Yeah.
20:25It was beautiful to be nominated and be acknowledged.
20:28But I think, yeah, working with the young people for me
20:31and seeing their happiness and what they get out of it,
20:34to me, that was amazing.
20:38Woo!
20:45Woo!
20:54So, you need to get some paint for workshops.
20:58Yep.
20:59All of the top row, please.
21:04One of each.
21:05Potion.
21:06Flirt.
21:06And Mo Berry.
21:09Two greens on the end.
21:12I'm so surprised by the colours.
21:14Yeah.
21:15Yeah, it's great.
21:16There's such a huge range.
21:18I love it.
21:18So, how many we got?
21:21So...
21:2237.
21:2337.
21:24Alright, so nozzles.
21:25Now, I'm understanding nozzles are imperative to the design,
21:30to the way in which the paint comes out.
21:32Nozzles is like the key.
21:34That's right.
21:35So, my favourite would have to definitely be the New York Fat Cap.
21:38Really versatile.
21:39I love that I can feel with it.
21:41I can outline with it, but I can really control it.
21:44And I do say to the kids, like, the bigger ones come out smaller
21:47and the smaller ones come out bigger, just to confuse them.
21:50Then you've got your Astro, your Ghost Cap.
21:53You want to do something big and quick?
21:54This is your choice of weapon of choice.
21:57Definitely.
21:58Okay, not for kids.
21:58We're going to go through a lot of paint in the workshop with those.
22:01Definitely.
22:02They love them.
22:02When they find them, they love them.
22:04That's why I hide them.
22:10So, we're in Port Adelaide now and not far from Kuru.
22:15Kuru are an Adelaide-based Indigenous youth dance troupe.
22:20Pretty keen to, yeah, work with these young ones
22:22because I haven't had the chance to work with Kuru more before.
22:27So, is this what you meant when you told me you're a good rapper?
22:29Oh, the finest.
22:32Do you want to hear me bust out something?
22:35Oh, give me the low bit.
22:37Yeah.
22:37Can't have you standing there looking pretty.
22:44Hey, ladies.
22:45Hi.
22:46Kuru Kuru.
22:47Hi, how are you?
22:49Ladies, this is Tony.
22:51Hi, everyone.
22:52Lovely to meet you.
22:53I should stand here.
22:54I'm a participant too.
22:55Yes, you are joining in.
22:57You need to wear one of these.
23:00This is the New York side path.
23:05Like, it's all in your wrist.
23:06All your movements in your wrist, okay?
23:08If I get too close, that's what happens.
23:11Too far away, that's what happens.
23:14So, you kind of want to find your happy medium.
23:17Um, yeah, let's get busy, huh?
23:20There's some nuggles in there.
23:23So, T-R-E-G-O.
23:25Yep.
23:26Trego.
23:26Trego.
23:39I try and teach kids the right way of using cans.
23:43Try and avoid teaching them or, you know, condoning anything about tagging.
23:50It's really interesting.
23:52I've been so surprised at how much coverage you can get in such a short time.
23:55I mean, it makes so much sense that it's attached to the street.
23:58It's quick.
24:00Um, but then I can also see the potential over a long period of time,
24:03or really putting in a lot of work, how you can get some pretty amazing outcomes.
24:07Yeah.
24:08Nice look.
24:10I love them, this popping colour.
24:12It's very 80s, kind of electro-boogie.
24:17I think it's really important for young people to have a variety of ways to express themselves.
24:30It's about creating public art, transforming spaces into something beautiful.
24:37How are you finding the workshop?
24:39It's more easier than I thought.
24:40Yeah, it is, isn't it?
24:42What do you think?
24:43It's a good one.
24:43It's a good one.
24:45It's a good one.
24:45They're pretty good.
24:46They're very good.
24:47It's great.
24:48Yeah, what's your favourite part of working with Nish?
24:51Creativeness.
24:52It kind of just lets you do what you want.
24:57I'd like kids to get some skills of course, but inspiration to go on and get a career out
25:03of the arts.
25:10Seeing the kids' reaction, their satisfaction, their joy, it actually blows me away.
25:19I love that there's a variety of techniques and styles.
25:23I love this.
25:25This is amazing.
25:27Love your work.
25:29I hope people see the work that I've been doing with young people and hope that young
25:35people are inspired to, you know, do work in the arts and maybe follow my footsteps perhaps.
25:47I'm looking back at the sun, thinking what have I done?
25:50Trying to figure out what's beginning, what's begun.
25:52Fighting with myself in the moment of truth, man.
25:55Why was I hurting back in my youth?
25:57Yeah.
25:58In my past life, the lips in black and white are the seaside.
26:00And the colours seem so bright in the dream time.
26:03Searching for a little more peace.
26:04Now I'm dizzy, yo.
26:06Free some memories receiving like a radio.
26:08My hands are weakly, complete from the heavens.
26:10My message comes clear as life's held past and present.
26:13My feet are tired but my big soul is never straight.
26:16Rested in his eyes still...
26:17...
26:18...
26:18...
26:21...
26:23...
26:23...
26:24...
26:24...
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